Cycling Heaven Quest

[usafmd]

My wife and I are very healthy and looking for a warm weather, friendly community which is situated in a cyclist's dream world. That is safe roads, cycling buddies and beautiful surrounds. If it is located in a 55+ neighborhood with with a ready-made group of friends, even better. I've plied through the forum but couldn't find such a thread. Thank you in advance.

 

[Nick12]

I heard about Arizona being a cyclist dream area to live and train. Or Texas hill country where that drug induced Lance Armstrong is from.

 

[LOL!]

Do you want bike paths or all roads with speed limits of 30 mph and less with shoulders that are cleaned of debris? Or are you fine with sharing the roads with cars? Do you want no lights and stop signs? Flat or hilly or mountainous? What about distances? Do you need coffee shop every 5 miles? Would you be satisfied with an indoor bike track (velodrome)? Would you ride in freezing weather? How about 90 deg+ and 90%+ humidity?

Do you need a good trauma center nearby?

 

[COcheesehead]

Colorado has great cycling infrastructure (paths, bike lanes) in many cities along with a huge cycling culture supported by many clubs including those for older cyclists.

 

[COcheesehead]

I heard about Arizona being a cyclist dream area to live and train. Or Texas hill country where that drug induced Lance Armstrong is from.

Tucson, yes. Lance from hill country, no. Try Plano.

 

[davebarnes]

Vermont from May-September.

 

[HFWR]

Tucson, yes. Lance from hill country, no. Try Plano.

Plano has some decent multi-use paths, and with some effort, you could ride to the White Rock Lake area of Dallas and back.

As for Lance “I never doped”, he could still kick all those other doper’s asses...

 

[kite_rider]

You will get some better answers if you define the type of cycling you are interested in. Among my friends there are road racers, mountain bikers (me), touring enthusiasts, cyclocross racers, gravel bikers, fat bike riders (for snow mostly), e-bikers of various flavors, urban bike commuters, and uni-cyclists (off and on road)!

We are all seeking our own cycling heaven quest but in very different places... Central Oregon is pretty good for a lot of these, but if you were here now you would be better off with skis - oh yea, there are about 8 flavors of those as well..

 

[CyclingInvestor]

My favorites over the decades -

Colorado / Utah
California - San Luis Obispo, high desert
Oregon - Corvallis, Eugene

 

[Col. Klink]

Citrus County, Florida

Hi. I moved to where I live for the very same reason. Here are a couple links for you to peruse.

https://www.traillink.com/trail/withlacoochee-state-trail
https://www.citrushills.com/
Bicyclers Paradise | Inverness, FL - Official Website

DW and I came down in 2014 to ride the trail and we ended up buying a home shortly thereafter. Never been happier. BTW, there are several cycling clubs in the area as well as the trail crew. These are the folks that volunteer with Florida State Parks to maintain the trail.

Suggest you add this to your bucket list.

 

[donheff]

I'm not moving to find such a paradise because I like where I am (DC) and plan to stay. But I understand the urge. I am flying to Tuscon this morning to ride in the Sonoran desert. I know there are a lot of 55+ communities in the Tuscon area but I don't know the proximity to trails or low traffic scenic roads.

If you find your heaven report back. DW and I like to travel to a good riding area in the dead of winter when DC is damp and cold and would be interested in renting in such a spot for a month or so. We have been to several areas in Florida (including a very brief stop in Inverness) and enjoyed our stays and our rides but none of them rose to cycling heaven in my estimation. As others, pointed out our heavens vary.

 

[zinger1457]

I am flying to Tuscon this morning to ride in the Sonoran desert. I know there are a lot of 55+ communities in the Tuscon area but I don't know the proximity to trails or low traffic scenic roads.

Welcome to sunny Tucson. From yesterday:

 

[usafmd]

You will get some better answers if you define the type of cycling you are interested in. Among my friends there are road racers, mountain bikers (me), touring enthusiasts . . .

I live in the New York Fingerlakes area which has fantastic cycling from May to about September. Between the NYS Forests and lightly trafficked rural roads, the road cyclists (95% me) and touring enthusiast in me has plenty to ride.

The cold, the cold! Thank you so far for your suggestions! I have cycled Iverness and Tucson. The bike paths are super, but I would be bored within a few weeks going over the same paths repeatedly.

As a member or Adventure Cycling, I read in the last issue about northern Arkansas or the Ozarks. These seem much warmer compared to where I'm, looking at snow out my window. Anyone experienced cycling in areas where the February daytime temp is above 45, the pavement is wide and the drivers are accustomed to sharing the road with groups of cyclists on the road?

 

[boog]

My wife and I are very healthy and looking for a warm weather, friendly community which is situated in a cyclist's dream world. That is safe roads, cycling buddies and beautiful surrounds. If it is located in a 55+ neighborhood with with a ready-made group of friends, even better. I've plied through the forum but couldn't find such a thread. Thank you in advance.

Great cycling was a primary reason we picked our 55+ community in Ocala, Florida. Ocala is the horse capital of the world and Marion county has hundreds of miles of picturesque, gently rolling horse farm roads which are great for road cycling. The Cross Florida Greenway runs across the south side of town and has some of the best singletrack in the southeast. A new paved trail was recently added as well.

We have a small group of seven within our community who ride together regularly on road rides of typically 40 - 50 miles. We’re often joined by a few others from neighboring communities. There are several local clubs offering group rides most days of the week.

I’m glad to share additional info on our community (Dell Webb Stone Creek) and the area if desired. We are located about 25 miles NE of Citrus Hills mentioned in an earlier post.

 

[imoldernu]

From my home to my camp(about 27 miles), a county road in excellent condition. I have driven it by car, and only met 5 cars coming in the opposite direction. Typical for a radius of about 30 miles.

That said, my camp at Woodhaven Lakes has been more than enough for me for the past 30 years. Perfect 43 miles of roads, and 18 miles of cyclable trails. Enough small hills to satisfy this old soul... and virtually no traffic, as people tend to spend more time at their camps. Twenty mile speed limit. Lots of lakes, deer and birds and animals along the way, and almost all in the shade of the Black oak forest.

I use my 1940's Raleigh for road riding, and my Mongoose for the trail. Jeanie doesn't ride any more, so for the past 15 or so years, my riding partner has been a lady retired phys ed school teacher. Usually it was a 15 to 20 mile ride. Like that up until about 3 years ago

If that wasn't enough, radiating out from WH, a few hundred miles of very low traffic country roads to all of the small towns in the area. Except for a dozen or so days in the winter, all roads cleared, so year round biking (not my style), is available.

For those with a spirit of adventure... two possible sites... my nephew Dany's at MacQueen's Bike Shop in PEI, or my niece Kristen's at WowCuba. Guaranteed adventure.

This is a little sad, because at 83, more caution. Too easy to get hurt. Now, my riding is more limited to short trips around our quiet neighborhood, and maybe have to hang it up this coming summer. (sigh)

Thanks for the subject, and the memories.

 

[donheff]

Welcome to sunny Tucson. From yesterday:

I have been watching that awful weather but we start riding tomorrow afternoon and thru the rest of the week. Our days look great. Hopefully the rain will make the desert bloom.

 

[Freedom56]

My wife and I also cycle a lot at three locations: Southern California (Santa Clarita Valley), South East Florida, and Switzerland. In Florida, you have to share the road with cars and sometimes you will find yourself in a swarm of several hundred bike riders. It's also completely flat. In Switzerland, you also share the roads with cars but they have a bike route system with low traffic routes. The scenery is stunning over there and there are plenty of hills for a good workout. For warm weather and the best cycling paths with nice scenery, that is completely isolated from automobile traffic, it would have to be Santa Clarita California. There are over 115 miles of bile paths here. See the link below:

Bike Santa Clarita – Dedicated to providing the infrastructure for a safe and fun bicycling experience to our community.

 

[kevink]

Lifelong cyclist here, though I'm decades removed from my 400 mile weeks when I lived in Boulder CO in the 80's and 90's. As others have said, depends on what kind of cycling you want, but in my experience the best cycling town for both road and mountain biking is Silver City NM. It puts Boulder (or anywhere else in Colorado) to shame and I don't say that lightly. Reasons for this include far less traffic for road rides, no overcrowded/overused trails (or endless conflicts with hikers and other users) for mountain biking and due to the mild weather a cycling season that runs March through November and even into December most years.

Downsides are considerable though: it is remote, small and eccentric - like a mini Santa Fe Circa the late 70's. Worth a long visit though even if you don't move there.

I live in Tucson now and the bike culture here is great. Very strong urban/commuter bike scene, plenty of racers and recreational cyclists, even a great recumbent dealer. The main biking in town proper is the 100 mile plus Loop off-road paved bike system, which is flat to rolling but great for a workout. More hilly rides abound nearby and the mountain biking scene is pretty great. Must have a plan to be out of here for at least three months in the summer though.

If you do want to look at Colorado the small town of Cañon City is a great place to live and while under the radar has the best year-round road and mountain biking in the state.

 

[stepford]

There are over 115 miles of bile paths here...

Though I prefer to keep the time I spend on bile paths to myself I agree with you about how nice it is to live in a place with comfortable 4 season biking and reasonably varied terrain. Southern CA does have a fair bit of road traffic, but has a really good mix of road and trail for all different sorts of biking.

 

[Ronstar]

I prefer to bike on paved trails where I don’t have to deal with car and truck traffic. No rocky mountain biking either - just asphalt, concrete, or fine crushed stone trails. Sometimes I have to throw the bike in the back of my truck to get to a good biking trail, but that’s ok.

 

[GravitySucks]

I live in the New York Fingerlakes area which has fantastic cycling from May to about September. Between the NYS Forests and lightly trafficked rural roads, the road cyclists (95% me) and touring enthusiast in me has plenty to ride.

The cold, the cold! Thank you so far for your suggestions! I have cycled Iverness and Tucson. The bike paths are super, but I would be bored within a few weeks going over the same paths repeatedly.

As a member or Adventure Cycling, I read in the last issue about northern Arkansas or the Ozarks. These seem much warmer compared to where I'm, looking at snow out my window. Anyone experienced cycling in areas where the February daytime temp is above 45, the pavement is wide and the drivers are accustomed to sharing the road with groups of cyclists on the road?

+1 Beautiful in the summer.
And Fingerlakes area drivers seem to expect and respect cyclists.
Plus Erie Canal trail and the ADK mountains for serious climbing.

 

[Badger]

For what it's worth Florida is ranked as the deadliest state for pedestrians which also applies to cyclists. It includes 8 of the 10 deadliest metro areas. The top 4 most dangerous cities for cyclists in the nation are Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami.


I live in Florida just outside one of those cities and ride both a bicycle and motorcycle (getting ready to sell the motorcycles). I bike in the morning in a sleepy town on the coast about 15-20 miles a day but stick to the neighbor hood after morning traffic is over about 8am. It is just too dangerous anywhere else unless you drive to a rails-to-trails 30 miles away.


Cheers!

 

[GravitySucks]

For what it's worth Florida is ranked as the deadliest state for pedestrians which also applies to cyclists. It includes 8 of the 10 deadliest metro areas. The top 4 most dangerous cities for cyclists in the nation are Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami.


I live in Florida just outside one of those cities and ride both a bicycle and motorcycle (getting ready to sell the motorcycles). I bike in the morning in a sleepy town on the coast about 15-20 miles a day but stick to the neighbor hood after morning traffic is over about 8am. It is just too dangerous anywhere else unless you drive to a rails-to-trails 30 miles away.


Cheers!

An acquaintance of mine was a pro rider for 10 years, ending his career with Team 7 11.
He moved to Miami 3 years ago and was mowed down dead in less than 6 months.
I leave my bike at home when visiting Florida now.

 

[Nick12]

An acquaintance of mine was a pro rider for 10 years, ending his career with Team 7 11.
He moved to Miami 3 years ago and was mowed down dead in less than 6 months.
I leave my bike at home when visiting Florida now.

+1/ on a weekly basis, pedestrians are mowed down by vehicles in Central and South Florida.

 

[jabbahop]

I am an enthusiastic cyclist and one of the reasons we spend winters in the St. George utah area and summers in Vermont.

Moderate winter weather (though we got a couple of unusual snows this week), lots of sun, beautiful scenery, lots of bike path options. If you are into mtn/gravel biking there is a huge number of options.

The road options are a bit less available but there are some nice routes if you are willing to drive a bit - Zion, Valley of Fire, etc.